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CHAPTER START---
"What's the plan?" Agpar asks as they see the drone swarm rushing toward them.
"We stay in range and do laps while Star' defends and Nezu hacks into Tech's systems," Horizon says. "I need to complete the map and be on standby for extra energy, but as soon as I can I'll head outside and help her."
"Setting our path now, we'll give the fortress as much space as we can," Agpar says.
"I'll stay as close as I can, just focus on staying in the air," Star' says as she rushes forward, keeping up with the plane as Agpar begins doing wide laps around Tech's fortress.
A legion of drones open fire at her, but due to the atmospheric density and pressure zones, even the bullets and rockets can't get to the core of her giant avatar.
Instead, she freely moves around the sky and swats them aside, shattering them into pieces while flying parallel to the plane.
While the battle begins, back in the base David Shield and Power Loader are working meticulously to find vulnerabilities in the drone facilities that can be exploited without completely breaking Tech's fortress.And on the screen, everyone sees the combat, they see Star and Stipe flying through the air and waving her limbs about, and the drones that got within her range were seemingly crushed and swatted away by some invisible force.
Any that got too close to the plane were crumpled into scrap by Horizon's Takt, but that was rarely needed.
Star and Stripe was putting everything she had into giving him space to work, allowing him to keep his focus on creating the map and holding the massive fortress in the sky.
"Is this real?" One of the engineers breaks the silent tension in the viewing room. "I mean, what am I even seeing right now?"
"Mystery Class Quirks in action?" Another person asks, not quite sure what to make of this. "I wonder how the world will react to this footage."
Toward the back of the room someone laughs, lifting their spirits, "Tech actually thought he could win? Seriously?"
This causes most of the people to smile, feeling the flames of hope blazing within them.
Even as the rest of the world waits anxiously for Tech's judgment, these lucky and exceptional few were privileged to witness it, in real-time, the heroes who sacrificed themselves to save the world.
Back on the battlefield Star and Stripe scoffs as she notices something very problematic.
"Some of the drones are magnetic, collecting the scraps and taking them back," She says. "It's been a few minutes but the number hasn't decreased at all, and at this rate, it never will."
"Then it's a good thing you're you, otherwise we'd have cause to worry," Agpar says. "Can you focus on the scavenger drones?"
"No, sensing that kind of stuff is Horizon's gimmick," she says. "And even if I could, they'd just make more."
"We have the EMP," Agpar says.
Star and Stripe considers it for a moment while fighting, then shakes her head, "No, that would take power from Nezu, I'll just deal with the drones."
"Speaking of power, I need more of it," Nezu says. "Horizon, you're up!"
"Got it," Horizon says as he relaxes back into his seat, while still holding up the fortress, defending them from the drones, and creating the map of the entire structure.
He begins releasing Counter Shock from all across his body which his compartment greedily drinks up.
"How are you holding up?" Nezu asks.
"I'll be fine, but let's not take our foot off the gas," Horizon says as he closes his eyes, trying to keep his thoughts clear while processing everything.
While splitting his focus on so many things, he could also sense Tech deep within the fortress.
The man was sealed within a small chamber, connected to tubes and wires that were fused to his nerves and organs to keep him alive.
Horizon could sense how frail his body was, skin hanging on bones like a coat on a hanger, so focused on becoming one with technology that his humanity was completely abandoned.
Like looking into a warped mirror.
"Can you hear me?" Tech's voice asks through their communications, startling but not surprising them. "Ahh, Horizon, so you're why my underwater fortress is now airborne."
"Yeah, and if you kill me, it'll fall," Horizon says.
"As if I could do that," Tech says.
But Horizon notices the man's body hasn't moved, he's using technology to speak for him.
"And even if I could, you would never let my base fall," Tech says. "We all know what happens if anything happens to it, or me."
"Well I guess we're at a standoff, so how about you disarm the nukes and I let you down easy, I'll make it quick, deal?" Horizon jokingly asks while the electricity still dances around him.
"I was born to inherit this world, I will not give up my birthright to those who can't properly use it," Tech says. "Surrender now and return to your homes, and I will forgive this one transgression."
Everyone who hears this falls silent, not sure what to make of this.
Well, almost everyone, because Horizon laughs.
Not a small laugh, but a victorious cackle.
"I knew you were too much of a pussy to truly take this world," Horizon says. "Never negotiate while you have the advantage, that's basic knowledge. And time and time again you've opened negotiations, all the power in the world but you're still so weak, and now you're scared. Because we are here, and no matter how this ends, you're going to die."
"No. That…that is not the case."
"We'll finish this conversation in person," Horizon says. "Right before I rip your head off!"
An angry growl is heard through the communication systems, "You, of all the things in this world, I thought Nezu would be most dangerous. Yet I couldn't kill him while you exist, but now I see, you coordinated all of this.
I made a miscalculation, I may be the only person in the world to still underestimate you. I only considered your Quirk and its known applications, not whatever thing dwells beneath that visor. I see it clearly now, exactly as you once said. You are not only dangerous because of that Quirk, but because, you are Horizon.
This is a miscalculation, that will never be made again!"
As he cuts the connection every drone within the fortress is launched, causing Star and Stripe to be taken aback for a moment.
"That's too many, Horizon be ready, I can't stop them all," Star and Stripe says as she prepares to defend them.
"We finished with the map," Power Loader says at that very moment. "Horizon, crush the marked spots!"
Horizon leans forward and looks at the marked areas on the map, the drone fabrication and repair facilities.
"Nezu, the power is going to dip for a moment!"
"I'm ready!"
"TAKT!" Horizon shuts off his Counter Shock and puts everything into crushing the drones and facilities.
Outside the plane, Star' and everyone watching the broadcast are amazed as every drone is crumpled into scrap metal and parts of the fortress visible crumble.
COUNTER SHOCK!
Horizon instantly resumes powering Nezu's system, leaning back into his seat to take a few deep breaths.
"I'm going to have a headache after this," he mutters.
Outside the plane, Star' smiles as she deactivates her avatar.
NEW ORDER: I can freely move through the atmosphere!
She flies to the plane and stands on top of it, arms folded and cape billowing in the wind as she stares at the fortress.
"The point defenses aren't firing," she says.
"There aren't any," Horizon says. "But, I'm sensing some movement at the bottom of the base, parts are reconfiguring themselves into some kind of chamber."
Star and Stripe takes a combat stance, ready to jump back into the action.
"My systems are picking up immense energy readings," Nezu says. "We've got something big incoming."
"Yeah, I noticed," Star' says. "Look outside."
Nezu sits up and looks out the cockpit for a moment, seeing purple energy flowing around and through the entire fortress, gathering on the bottom of it.
He then turns back to his computer as Horizon is updating the map of the structure in real-time.
"He's preparing to discharge a massive amount of energy," Nezu says.
"I can shield the plane," Star' says.
"No, not at us, downward, that's the only way those components could fire."
"Down?" Agpar asks. "That moron, he's desperate and wasting energy."
"No," Horizon says. "If the energy readings we're seeing are correct, then that blast will leave a crater on the ocean floor. The waves will wipe out Hawaii and any coast connected to this ocean, he's forcing our hand."
"Not our hand, my hand," Star and Stripe say as they now see the energy gathering into a large purple sphere beneath the fortress. "I need to contain that and get it out of here."
"Cat—" Agpar cuts himself off. "Star' can you handle that much energy? This isn't a simple nuke we're talking about here."
"I know. And honestly, I probably can't," She admits. "But this is what makes us heroes, we sacrifice ourselves for others."
"No, there has to be another way," Agpar pleads.
"If there was, Horizon would have mentioned it," Star' says as she leaps off the plane and begins flying to the sphere. "Thanks for being my family."
Agpar doesn't respond, just staring in horror as the girl he raised flies toward her death, then he musters his will and gets out a few words.
"You were always a hero to me kid, even before you were Star and Stripe," he says.
As she gets closer the sphere collapses into itself and is fired as a beam toward the ocean.
Star and Stripe instantly speeds up and flies directly into it.
NEW ORDER: This energy beam will gather as a sphere in my hands!
She pours everything she can into new order, for the first time in her life since becoming Star and Stripe, feeling fear and death marching toward her.
Reaching deep into a well of power she'd never been aware of, until now, she pulls all of the energy toward herself.
Now cradling the basketball-sized sphere in her arms she falls toward the ocean, her fingers burning away as her Order quickly diminishes.
Pushing past the pain she kicks against the air, using the shockwave to propel herself skyward.
Normally she'd throw the sphere, but because of the sheer amount of energy, she was terrified of letting go of it, as her Order would greatly weaken when she does.
Using his Room, and watching through one of the screens, Horizon sees his friend climbing higher and higher into the sky, racing to her death.
"Hey Horizon," Star' says, the strain and exhaustion clear in her voice. "Kick his ass for me!"
"Of course, that's what we came here to do after all," Horizon says. "Thank you, for everything."
"Ha! I should be thanking you. It was nice having a sibling again, I almost forgot what that was like," Star' says as she reaches the upper atmosphere, leaving the range of his Room. "Now go save the world!"
As she says those words, she puts everything she can into throwing the sphere into space, but the moment it leaves her grasp the energy explodes in every direction.
Above the plane the entire sky shines bright purple as a shockwave clears all the clouds, shaking the plane and fortress.
Both of which would have fallen if not for Horizon.
And within him, a foreign anger stirs to the surface. Because as reluctant as he would be to admit it, they truly were friends…
END CHAPTER---